Knitting machine



April 2, 1935. A. $H|ELD$ 1,996,594

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 i-Of f A ffomegiApril 1935- I H. A. SHIELDS 1,996,594

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1952 t 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 im. Q. Shields.lgi. 2

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April 1935- H. A. SHIELDS 1,996,594

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 a a? 33 30 21,29 I

\nuenfor Am lia April 1935- H. A. Si- IIELDS 3 1,996,594

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 \nuenfov 8373Qbhidds Patented Apr. 2, 1935 rarest fort-ice KNITTING mourns Harry A.Shields, iGrand naepids, Misha Eugene =Ricliards, administrator of saidHarry A.

Shields, deceased, :assignor to "Grand Rapids iextile-:Machinery --Company, --Grand Rapids,

'Mich, a corporation of "Michigan Application July '9, -1932, "SerialNo. 62 16654 :12 fllaims.

This invention relates to an attachment for circular, knitting machines,suchmachinesbeing utilized in knitting tubes of -fabric,..an dtheatt'achment of myinvention is primarily concerned with the productionof reverse plating .ona circular knitting machine, and with the.provision of means whereby an indefinitenumber of ,.patterns maybeproduced,

The invention is concerned. with mechanism for automatically changingthe .position of threads, usually .of different colors, running to theneedles so that the engagement of the needles with the threadwillplacethe threadof one color at the upper endof the needle and of anothercolor below the first thread, and on a change of position of theguideswhich carry the thread or yarn, whichguides are automaticallyperiodically operated through the fmechanismof my invention, thepositionsof the threads in th'e needle are reversed, therebyautomatically changing'the thread or yarn of onecolorifrom the innerside of the tube of fabric-knitted, to the outer side thereof and viceversa.

It is a further object and purpose of the invention to control thealternating movements of the thread guides by. means of cams and, through difierent shapes and forms of cams, 1 provide for many difierentpatterns. Furthermore the mechanism for driving the cams-may be either adirect drive from the rotating mechanism of the knitting machine oran'eccentric drive-and'the speed of rotation of the cams may beincreased or diminished by changing gears wherebygpatterns of thesamekind may be greatly varied-in size and-shape, all being readily attainedwith the relatively simple and economically constructed device of myinvention.

-An understanding of the invention may-be had from the followingdescription, taken connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic .plan view illustrating theapplication of my invention t a circularknitting machine.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view showing one of the'units ofmy--invention,ap1u

...5 Fig.7? is a fragmentary enlarged cross section similar to 3,showing the position of the threads with 're'fere'nce to the needlesbefore the needles are drawn'downwardly to perform aknitting operation,and

Fi'gsJS 'to'12, inclusive',-'are viewsillustrating different "types of.1patt'erns which may be produced with my invention, it being understoodthat an indefinite number cfpa'tterns of difiering charactersma'y. be,produced 'withfchanges in cams, gearing, timing df' rotation of the camsand the like.

Like reference characters refer to like parts initheJdiffereiitffigure'sdf'the drawings.

In a .circ'ula'r knitting machine there is provided an outer horizontalring o'r'table i which Sis/stationary in, the machine within which ismechani'smdor continuous rotation, including a Tring"2 horint'allylocatedunderne'ath and bearing. against thefund'erside of *the'tableLand having a downwardly extending'annular gear 3 at its outerjedge.'A'tithefinn'er sidejof the ring, 2 is-an upwardly'extendingfrnember 4provided with guides 5 "forneedlesjli. .Theneedles turn with theparti'ajnd theiring 2 'withjwhich itvis connected, and move'inside of a,ring 1 at the side of which adjacentthe needles is'a needle operatingearn 8. Th'eJc'amS, is a continuous plate with a slot 'therein iritowhich laterally extending projection's "9 .fr'om"thefneedles'extend. Asthe nee- 'dIesturn 'ab'outa vertical axis with respect to thej'stationary' cam )plate 8, the same come to downwardlyinclinediportionsof the cam slots thereby drawing Jth'e needles, downwardly for aninterval a's b'est indicatedin Fig. 6. The needles areprovidedwithgpressers, l8,-normal1y held in the positioni'shown in Figsq 3 and"?by a continu 'ous rc'o'iled spring "I I which passes around the lower'en'dsjdf all ofthe .pressers "Iii, being seated 22 (Fig.

tending upwardly from base segments I3, a number of which are joinedtogether end to end around and secured to the machine, each of the basesegments I3 being designed to carry one of the devices of my invention.A shaft I 4 is mounted on the support I2 and an adjacent lug I5 extendedupwardly froma base segment I3 (Fig. 5) carrying a gear I8 which in turndrives a gear I! above it. The gear I! and a cam wheel l8 are bothmounted for rotation on a horizontal shaft rotatably mounted at theupper portion of the support I2. The cam wheel jI8, .as shown in. Fig.3, has three equally spacedcams I 9,but it is to be understood that thecam wheel may have a greater number of projecting cams spaced eitherequal or unequal distances apart, and the projecting cams I 9 may be ofthe same or of different lengths, it being designed that the cam wheelsI8 may be interchangeable on the shaft carrying the same, differentcams. being used for different patterns which are to be knitted.

An arm 20 is pivotallymounted' at'its lower end on a rock shaft 2| atthe upper end of the support l2, and at the upper end of the arm 20 asupporting plate 22 is permanently secured and extends inwardly,substantially in a horizontal plane; nearly to the needles :6.Supporting posts 23 on the table I carry ring members 24 and 25 as partsof the knitting machine and it is across the horizontal upper side ofthemember 25 that the plate 22 extends; and an adjusting screw 26 maythread downwardly through the plate 22 to bear at its lower end againstthe ring member 25 for adjustably locating the plate 22.

It is of course understood that in the description being made of a unit,such description applies to all of the several units which are locatedin spaced apart relation around the knittingmachine. At the inner end ofthe supporting plate 22 are bearings 27 and at the outer end bearings 28for rotatably carrying spaced apart ['rock shafts 29 and 39, each ofwhich at its'outer end has a lever 3I adjustably secured thereto. Asshown in Fig. 5 the the levers may be adjusted about the axis of theshafts 29 and 39. The levers extend toward each otherand are provided attheir adjacent ends with heads 32 the lower sides of which bear againstthe upper end of a head 33 extending from an arm 34' pivotally mountedat its inner end on an extension .35 tothesupport I2 the lower end ofthe head 33 bearing against the cam wheel I8, whereby when one of theprojecting cams I9 rides underneath the head 33 it lifts the same andtilts the two levers 3 I, one in a clockwise direction and theother'ina' counterclockwise direction. On the camprojection' I9 movingaway from the head 33 and permitting the arm 34 to drop, levers 3Ireturn to their original positions or until stopped by the engagement oftheir outer ends against the lower ends of adjusting screws 33 threadedthrough the plate The upper sides of the heads 32 described are pressedagainst by spring plungers housed within a housing 3'1, as shownin Fig.5, so as to cause thelevers to positively follow the cams or droptherefrom androck the rock shafts 29 and 30.

The inner ends of rock shafts 29 and 39 each carry yarn or threadguidesof the shape shown in Fig. 6. That is, from eachof, the shafts 29and 39 an arm 38 extends radially, joiningwith which is an elongatedguide bar 39, one end thereof carrying a guidejslee'veAIl while theother end has anopening 4!, the bars 39 being longitudinally recessed toprovide elongated troughs 42. The yarns or threads 43 and 44 come fromthe bobbins carried by the knitting machine, pass through the guidesleeves 45, thence lengthwise of the troughs 42 and through the openingsM to be engaged by the needles.

It, is evident that upon the rock shafts 29 and 3D rocking in differentdirections, for example, in Fig. 6, the rock shaft 39 being moved in acounterclockwise direction and the shaft 29 in a clockwise direction,the relative positions of the threads or yarn 43 and 44 will be changed.In the position shown in Fig. 6 the yarn at 43 is located above theyarn44. But on rocking the shafts this position of the yarn or thread ischanged; This occurs when a cam, such as I9, passes underneath the head33 'of the lever 34. When the cam passes from under said head 33,permitting the same to drop and the levers 3| to return to initialposition, the position of the yarn or threads 43 and 44 will again bethat shown in Fig. 6. And with the continued operation of the knittingmachine it is evident that the position of the yarn 43 and 44 in 'theknitted fabric will be periodically changed .or reversed from the innerto the outerside of the tubular fabric produced and vice versa.

' The yarns or threads 43 and 44 may be of different colors or ofdifferent material and the extent of the reversal of the yarns from oneside of the tubular knitted fabric to the other will be dependent uponthe shape of the cams, their lengths and the speed of rotation of theshaft which carries the cam wheel I8. v

' Driving the cams is accomplished by a gearing connection with the ringgear 3. A bracket support 45 of U-shape is located over the edge of thetableI in proper position and maybe detachably clamped thereto by a setscrew 46. A horizontal sleeve 41 carries a shaft at the inner end ofwhich is a gear 48 meshing with the ring gear 3. At the outer end of theshaft is a pinion 49 in mesh with a gear 59 which is carried on an arm5! adjustably mounted on a second arm 52 extending from the supportingbracket 45, the upper end of the arm-5| having a slot 53 while the arm'52 is equipped with a set screw to go through said slot permittingadjustment of the supporting arm 5 I which carries the pinion 59, sothat the different sizes of pinion 59 to mesh with the pinion 49 may beused. The pinion 59 is provided with a pin 54 which extends laterallythrough a slot 55 in a gear 56 mounted to turn eccentrically on aneccentric extension to the same stud which carries the pinion 59. Thegear 59 is in meshing engagement with gear 51 carried at the 'outerendof shaft 58, the inner end of which carries a beveled pinion 59, saidshaft extending through a bearing sleeve 39 cast integral with thebracket 45. The beveled pinion 59 drives a similar pinion 5| on theshaft I4 whereby the cam wheel I8 is driven from ring gear 3.

Each of the units described, located around the table I of the knittingmachine, may be driven direct from the ring gear 3but it is not ringgear 3, and those at the opposite side from another. "As many of thepower drive takeoifs from the ring gear: 3 may be ,used as. desired,-though in practice two for the machine located diametrically oppositeeach other have 'proven. very satisfactory.

With such. construction of attachment, readily applied to theconventional. circular knittingumachine, various patterns, dependentupon the design of. the cams l8,-may be provided and reverse platingattained in a. simple and practical, manner. In Figs. 8 to 12 inclusiveare shown'patterns which may .be .made with the-solidcolor, forinstance,such. as produced by the thread; 43 indicated at 64 and,in'Fig... 8,. the lighter colors as produced. by the thread 4:4indicated. at 65. In Fig. 9 the sections 66 are the same as thoseindicated at 65 infFig, .8 except for; the. waving outline thereof, thisbeing producedyby a difference in driving gears. The pattern in Fig.9.is produced by a drive construction such'as illustrated and.described, wherein-the pinion 50 drives the gear 56 through the pinandslot arrangement shown at 54 and '55.. However, the stud which carriesthe piniqns 50 .and 55 together with said pinions or gears: mayberemoved from its supporting arm. 5|, and. two gears. or-pinionsjoinedtogether and mounted concentrically on a stud substituted in theirplace, whereupon a ditferent character of pattern with exactly the samecam wheel. at 1-8 will be produced, the.- pattern showing straight linesas. in. Fig. 8 between the two different colors of yarn or thread, whilewith the eccentric gearing drive :described and shown in Fig. 4 thelines between the two colors will beof a wavy character.

Other driving arrangements and cams maybe utilized to provide stilldifferent characters of patterns such as indicated by the solid heaviersection 64 and the lighter colored section 61 in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 11 a pattern is indicated where the darker solid coloredsections at 64 are interspersed with intermediate sections 68 in whichboth the solid and lighter colors are intermixed,

and with other sections .in which the lighter colors only appear; whilein Fig, 12 the'waving character of division lines between the differentcolored parts of the patternis'indicated in. the heavy or darker coloredpart 64 and the lighter ones at 69, this through an eccentric drive gearconstruction such as shown in Fig.4 and asdescribed herein. I e V Theadjustment 'of the arms 5! and 52 with respect to each provides forchanging'gears so that the pinions 58anol the gears 55 of differentsizes may be used to drive the cam wheels It at different speeds withrespect to the rotative speed of the ring gear 3, with a resultantchange in the pattern.

The construction described is an attachment adapted to be readilyapplied to a circular knitting machine or taken therefrom when not to beused. It is of a simple, practical character and one which has beencompletely tested and tried out and has been used commercially withexceptionally satisfactory results. The invention is defined in theappended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms ofstructure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. An attachment for circular knitting machines comprising, a support, ashaft rotatably mounted thereon adapted to be driven. by the rotatingmovement of the knitting machine, a cam wheel on said shaft havingprojecting cams, a horizontal support secured to and extending laterallyfromithe; upper end-of: the first named .supportcrock-shafts. mountedon; .said: horizontal pp rt, levers securedvone ,t'ooneend of each ofvsaidiock shafta; said levers, being turned in opposite; directions by:means: of said projections on: the: cam. wheelsand yarnguides; onesecured to the otherwendof each sofsaid rock.- shaftsandmov- "able. withsaid rockishafts v11m; turningmovement thereof endppiungers bearingagainst. the adjacent ends ofisaidlevers forinormallyiholdin h m in aninitial position from which they are movedbyathe.movementgofsaid.campmilficfi n m s cam-wheel. a I

An attachment for circularma e chines comprisingxasupportincluding alower base segment: and .averticalsunportinc m e extendingupwardlytherefrom-,a shaftadapted to hedriyenmountedonasaid membcnasec ndshaft.locatedabove the firstshafnacamqwheel having projectingcamipontionscthereon on'sa-id second shaft, means to; drive the secondshaft from the first shaft, .a'horizontal support extending from theupper end of. said vertical member, rock shafts mounted thereon,leverssecu-red. one to one end of eachrock shaft having partsv extendingfrom the rock shafts-toward each other directly over said cam wheel,a-pivotallylmounted member between the cam whe el.,.and-.theadjacentends ofsaid levers, plungers engaging againstthe upper sides oftheadjacentendportionsrof said levers to hold them in a down position,and yarn. guides secured one to-each of said rock shafts atytheother endthereof, said yarn. guides eachcomprising an arm extending radiallyfrom. itsrock: shaft; .a bar located at" right angles to.- said arm, anda guide sleeve at one end of saidbanthe oppositeend of the barhavi-ngan; openin 50 passing the yarntherethrough. Y I

3. An attachment for circular knitting machinescomprisi-ng,asupportincluding a lower base segment and a vertical supporting memberextending: upwardly therefrom, a. shaft adapted to be drivenmountedonsaid .membeiza second shaft located-above the first. shaft, acam Wheel having projecting cam portions thereon on said Isecondsh-aftgmeans to drivethe second shaft from the firstshaft, ahorizontal support extending from the upperend of said vertical member,rock shafts-- mounted thereon, levers secured one to one end of eachrockshaft, having parts ex-' tending from the-rockshaftstowardeach otherdirectly over said cam wheel, a-pivotally mounted member betweenthe-cam. wheel and theadjacent at one end of said bar, the opposite endof the passing the yarn bar having an opening for therethrough.

4. In combination with a circular knitting machine, an attachmenttherefor mounted on said machine including two yarn guides located inproximity to the needles of the machine, one adjacent and back of theother, rock shafts on which the yarn guides are mounted, means forrocking said shafts connected with the knitting machine to be driventhereby, a second attachment of like construction secured to saidknitting machine and spaced from the first attachment, and means fordriving the second. attachment from the first one, as specified.

5. In combination with a circular knitting machine, a plurality ofattachments therefor'located around said machinein spaced relation, eachof said attachments including tw o yarn guides, rock shafts carryingsaidyarn-guides, means for periodically rocking the rock. shafts in oppositedirections to change" their relative positions, means connecting allofsaid attachments for driving the same in unison, a ring gearon theknitting machine andmeans for driving all of said attachments throughsaid connections from a single driving means connected with said ringear; V, w

6. An attachment for-circular knitting ma chines comprising, a supportincluding a lower base segment and a vertical supporting memberextending upwardly therefrom, a shaft adapted to be driven mountedonsaid member, a second shaft located above the first shaft, a cam wheelhaving projecting cam portionsthereon on said second shaft, meanstodrive the second shaft from the first shaft, 'ahorizontal supportextending from the upper end of-said vertical member, rock shaftsmounted thereon, levers secured one to one end of eachrock'shaft havingparts extending from the rock shafts toward each other directly over'said cam wheel, a pivotally mounted member between the cam wheel and theadjacent ends of said levers, -plungers engaging against the upper sidesof the adjacent end portions of said levers to hold them in a downposition, and'yarn guides secured oneto' each of said rock shafts andthe other end thereof.

7. An attachment for circular knitting machines comprising, a supportmounted on a stationary table of the machine, a cam wheel mounted forrotation on said support, means for rotating said cam wheel, ahorizontal support pivotal- 1y mounted on saidsupport extending inwardlyand over a stationary portion of the machine, yarn guidespivotallymounted on the inner end of said horizontal'support, means between thecam wheel and the yarn guides whereby on rotation of the cam wheel theyarn guides will bepresented alternatelyuppermost to the needles of theknitting machine, adjusting means-between the horizontal support and thesaid stationary portion of the machine whereby theyarn guides may beadjusted vertically with'respect to the needles of the knitting machine.g

8. The combination' with a circular knitting machine, of yarnguideslocated one above the other, said yarnguide's mounted on asupport, a cam wheel ro'tatablymounted'on said support, means betweenthe-yarnguides and the cam wheel whereby, on rotation of the cam wheel,the yarn guides will be presented alternately uppermost to the needlesof the knitting machine,

means for driving saidicam wheel cdmp'r'ising a ring gear on'saidcircular knitting machine, a shaft driven therefrom, a pinion on saidshaft, a second pinion drivenby said first pinion, a

pin projecting from said second pinion, a gear 2 eccentricallymounted-with respect to said second pinion having a slot therein throughwhich said pin passes, gearing driven by said last mentioned-gear, saidcam wheel driven. from said gearing".

-9.'-The combination described in claim 8 but being furthercharacterized in that, said second 'pinion'and said eccentricallymountedgear are mounted on anadjustable' bracket whereby said pinion andsaid gear may be replaced by a pinion and gear of another size. 10. Incombination with a circular knitting machine having vertically movingneedles: of yarn guideslocated'one' ahead-of the other in verticalplanes adjacent said needles, means for mounting said yarn guides forrocking movement about horizontal axes, and means driven by the knittingmachine for periodically rocking said yarn guides in opposite directionsto elevate the yarn carried by. one guide above the other and thenreturn' it to a position below said other yarn, said driven meanscomprising a ring gear on said circular knitting machine, a shaft driventherefrom, a pinion on said shaft, a second pinion driven by said firstpinion, a pin projecting from said second pinion, 'a gear eccentricallymounted with resp'ectto said second pinion havinga slot therein throughwhich said pin passes, and gearing driven by said last mentioned gear,substantially as'descr'ib'ed. 1 l

11. In a knittingmzichine of the class de- .scribed,'a table, a ringgear adapted to rotate thereon-yarn guides, yarn guide shifting means,means for constantly changing the speed of-operation of the guideshifting means' in a predetermined manner tom'ake its cycle of speedrecurrent, said means being'operably connected to'said shifting means,and means for driving the speed changing means from the said ring gear.'f

12. In, a knittingmachine of the class de scribed, atable, yarn guides,means for mov; ably mounting the'yarn guide'sjon the table,

yarn guideshifting means and means for constantly changing the speed ofoperation of the guide shifting means for the purpose described,

said means which constantly changes the speed operating in recurringcycles jof predetermined duration. r

. BARRY A. i SHIELDS.

